Dream Awake
by Broedy
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209.
1. Chapter 1

**Dream Awake**

Eli woke in a fog. His thoughts were confused and it was hard to focus. He slipped out of consciousness a few more times, but each time he became aware of himself it was a little easier to concentrate. Eventually he was able to open his eyes. He saw a plain ceiling and the glare of white lights. It hurt to look.

"Where am I?" Eli croaked, his throat dry. His mouth felt like cotton wool.

He heard the movement beside him before Nate's concerned face hovered into view.

"You're at St. Vincent's, Eli. Don't worry, we're taking good care of you," he said, a wash of relief in his voice.

"Ugh, my head."

"That's what happens when you hit it hard, little brother. I thought you would have remembered that from childhood."

"What?"

"You hit it on the planter, don't you remember?"

"Not really, it's all fuzzy."

"Don't worry about it, it's only a mild concussion. Taylor's just gone to get some coffee, she'll be back in a minute."

Eli frowned and closed his eyes again. He may have even drifted off to sleep but when he opened them it felt like only a few seconds had passed. He felt more lucid.

"Why is Taylor here?" he asked. His voice was working better, too.

"She was worried about you," Nate replied.

"Why isn't she at work? What time is it?"

"It's the middle of the night. You've been out of it for a few hours."

"She shouldn't be drinking coffee," Eli murmured, trying not to focus on the throbbing ache in his head. "It isn't good for the baby."

"What?" Nate spluttered.

Eli pressed his fingers against either side of his forehead and shut his eyes once more but Nate shook his arm insistently.

"Eli, what are you talking about? Taylor's pregnant?"

"You didn't notice?"

"Ah, no. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why would I?"

"Well, gee, maybe because I'm your brother."

"Okay. Sorry, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Nate, I'd be happy for you to berate me some more but can I have some aspirin first? Seriously, my head is killing me."

Nate shook his head, words failing him. "I'll get something. But this conversation isn't over."

Eli turned his head away from the overhead light when Nate left his side. He wanted to sleep again but barely had a moment to consider it before he felt a hand on his arm. He found Taylor sitting beside him looking pensive. When she saw he was awake she smiled.

"Hey, there you are," she said. "You had me scared, you know that? Are you okay?"

He nodded warily. "Are you? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

"Where else would I be?"

"I don't know, at home."

"Of course I'm going to be here for you," she replied. "The doctor said you'll be fine."

She brushed her hand over his forehead before she saw the confusion in his eyes.

"Eli, what is it?"

"Where's Matt?"

Taylor blinked. "Who?"

Nate walked back into the room and Eli noticed for the first time that he was wearing a medical coat. He wondered why, when Nate and St. Vincent's Hospital had parted company some months ago.

"The nurse is bringing in some paracetamol for your head," he said. "And you're gonna need it. I can't believe you guys didn't tell me."

"Tell you what?" Taylor asked, turning her head towards him. Her hand was still on Eli's arm.

"I'm going to be an uncle!"

Taylor snorted. "What are you talking about?"

"Eli said you were pregnant," Nate said. Now he was the confused one.

"I am?" Taylor rounded on Eli. "Really."

"You can't exactly hide it, Taylor," Eli said. He glanced down at her belly but his brow puckered when he didn't see the small bump that she had recently begun to carry.

"Is this some kind of joke? Because it's not funny." She glared first at Eli then at Nate. "What's wrong with him?"

"It must be the concussion," Nate surmised quietly but she could tell he was concerned.

"Dr. Stone?" A nurse appeared at the door and handed over a small paper cup with a couple of pills in it.

"Thanks, Marie." Nate took the cup but he didn't give the paracetamol to Eli straight away.

"Oh _God_, is this just a vision?" Eli said, mostly to himself. He didn't see the look pass between Taylor and his brother. "Just don't start singing because, seriously, I'm not in the mood."

"Nate, what the hell?" Taylor said with rising panic.

"Eli?" Nate tried to get his attention

"Okay, fine." Eli looked up at the ceiling, squinting against the fluorescent lights. "Hurry up and finish. Send me whatever message you need to. Whose relationship can I wreck next? Or am I supposed to get some kind of clue for a case?

"Eli, who are you talking to?"

"Shh, you don't need to be interactive, Vision Nate," Eli said with a wave of his hand. He pulled back his covers and dropped his legs over the side of the bed before they could stop him.

"Get back into bed. You have a concussion," Nate ordered firmly.

"Eli, do what he says," Taylor said.

"You guys, I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine. This will be over soon." Eli stepped around the side of the bed towards Nate but opted for the window instead. He felt a little unsure on his feet which he wasn't expecting.

"Okay, that's enough." Nate caught him by the arm. "You're talking gibberish."

"_You're_ talking gibberish," Eli repeated then laughed at the silliness of the word. He felt light-headed which added to his amusement. He looked up as someone else entered the room. "Mom! Mom's here!"

"There you are. Why didn't you call us sooner, Nate? I had to threaten to make a call to Trevor Snyder because they weren't going to let us in." Their mother bustled forward and made a sympathetic sound as she laid a gentle hand on Eli's cheek. "What have you done to yourself, Eli?"

"It's not serious, Mom," said Nate when Eli only grinned.

"He's pale as a sheet," she tutted, a fact which Nate saw too. The color had drained rapidly from Eli's face as he stared at the door. Then his knees buckled and Nate had to catch him before he hit the floor.

"Dad?" Eli yelped, his eyes wide.

Aaron Stone walked into the room and pulled a cap from his head. Eli stared in shock at him, taking in his grey hair and face more lined than in any vision he'd had.

"Hey son, are you alright?"

Eli was breathing heavily and Nate's grip on his arm tightened.

"Mom, press the call button," Nate instructed quickly. "Come on, Eli, let's get you back to bed."

"No, no, wait," Eli gasped, his eyes still fixed on his father. He reached out a shaking hand to him. "Dad?"

Without warning he pulled himself out of Nate's grasp and almost fell into his father's arms. Eli held on as tightly as he could and felt his father shuffle back from his weight. There was a soft chuckle in response. He was real.

"It's okay, son. You're okay," he soothed, patting his back. But he frowned after a moment when he felt his shirt grow wet. He looked down and saw that Eli was weeping. "He is alright, isn't he?"

Nate insisted he lay down again but had to extract him from Aaron's embrace first. Eli was trying to catch his breath as he stopped the tears from falling and was suddenly compliant. Nate maneuvered him into bed with well practiced movements.

"Oh, Eli," Linda Stone said, immediately at his side and grasping his hand. "Nate, what is it?"

"It's just a concussion, Mom. Don't worry." But Nate didn't believe his own words. He didn't like the way Eli was still staring at their father in disbelief. A different nurse came into the room, answering the call for assistance, and Nate looked up at her sharply. "Call Dr. O'Day and tell him I need him. Now."

"Yes, Doctor."

"This isn't happening," Eli said through ragged breaths. "What is going on?"

"Eli, what is it?" Aaron said, stepping forward.

Eli looked from one startled family member to the other. Taylor stood in the background, her hand over her mouth.

"You're dead!" he stated, when his gaze fell on his father once more. "You're not really here."

"I'm not dead, son," Aaron replied calmly, ignoring the sharp gasp from his wife. He sat on the edge of Eli's bed. "Look at me. I'm right here."

"No," Eli moaned. He pressed his eyes shut. "I don't understand."

"Nathan, do something," Linda cried.

Nate forced each of Eli's eyes open with the pad of his thumb. He pulled a light from his pocket and checked his pupils.

"Do you know your name?" he commanded, his voice all business.

"Of course I do," Eli said, pushing his hand away and shielding his eyes from the harsh light.

"Tell me."

"Eli Stone."

"And who am I?"

"My brother Nathan."

"And her?"

"My mother."

"And me, Eli?" Aaron said gently before Nate could.

Eli blinked, his cheeks still wet. "My father," he whispered.

Nate motioned Taylor forward.

"Eli?" she prompted.

"Taylor. My… my ex-fiancée."

Taylor's mouth fell open.

"What? What happened?" Linda asked, even more alarmed. "Taylor?"

But she received no reply. Taylor shook her head, looking scared and betrayed, and was running from the room. She almost crashed in the doctor who was entering.

"What's going on, Nate?" he asked, quickly assessing the tension in the room.

"He's altered, complaining of a headache," Nate replied, stepping back to allow O'Day some room. He pulled his father up, too. "He recognizes us but he hasn't been making much sense, talking about things that haven't happened. Changes to relationships and other… stuff."

Nate didn't want to repeat the part about their father being supposedly dead. The doctor just nodded and focused on his patient.

"Hi Eli, I'm Dr. O'Day. Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

Eli took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He had to be rational about what was happening, even if it didn't make sense. Sometimes that's how visions went. He tried to ignore the fact that this wasn't feeling like a vision anymore. They usually felt pretty real, but this was something else entirely.

"Apart from a headache, I'm fine," he said. "I'm not altered. It's not me… I'd just need to know what's going on."

"We'll find that out, okay? Follow my finger with your eyes." The doctor performed a few quick tests on his pupil reaction. "Can you tell me today's date?"

"It's October…something." Eli struggled to remember the day.

"That's okay. What about the year?"

"2008."

There was a hiss from Nate. Linda held out her hand for her husband and held on tight. The doctor glanced back at Nate.

"The CT showed no skull fracture or bleeding but we'll send him for an MRI just in case." O'Day placed a hand on his patient's shoulder. "Eli, we're going to take you upstairs. You hang tight for a minute."

O'Day spoke quietly to Nate away from the bed so Eli couldn't hear them. He looked over at his parents. His mother's eyes were full of tears.

"Mom?" he asked in a scared voice she hadn't heard from him since he was a boy.

"It's alright, baby. You're going to be fine."

Eli stared at his father again who nodded in support of his wife's assertion.

"You got old, Dad," Eli said with a sad smile, then his vision grew black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Dream Awake**

"Is it brain damage?"

"No, Mom."

"Amnesia then?"

"He was just confused."

"You heard how he got the date wrong. 2008? And what about what he said to Taylor? She's distraught, poor thing."

"This can happen with head trauma. We just need to give him some time."

"You said it was just a concussion."

"And Dr. O'Day confirmed it. Why don't you and Dad go home? I'll call you if there's any change."

"We're not going anywhere."

Eli lay still and kept his breathing even as he listened to them talk. His eyes were closed and he resisted the temptation to open them until he had a better understanding of what was going on. His head hurt a little less which was making it easier to think. He concentrated hard, trying to piece together what he remembered about how he ended up in hospital. His mother and brother's conversation did little to clear things up. Nate…

In a flash the sight of Nate's angry, red face filled Eli's mind. He remembered they'd been arguing. He had been apologizing but Nate was enraged. Then suddenly Eli was on his knees and Nate was pressing something to his face. He recalled the metallic taste of blood on his tongue. He had been bleeding.

_"You're worse than Dad."_

Eli's chest tightened. He remembered those words.

"Who wants coffee?"

The pain in his chest became more pronounced when Eli recognized the male voice that wasn't Nate. He tried to will it away, knowing it wasn't true. But he'd seen him, been held by him.

His father was alive.

Eli's eyes snapped open as he gasped. Nate's concerned face immediately came into view.

"Eli? Can you hear me?" He sighed with relief when Eli met his gaze and held it steadily.

"I'll tell the doctor," Linda said and disappeared from the room.

Eli looked to his other side when he felt a warm, dry hand cover his.

"Hey there, son." Aaron smiled gently.

Eli tried to smile in response but felt tears well in his eyes instead. He couldn't be imagining it. His father was there. Not the younger man he'd known in his childhood – the alcoholic who swathed a path of destruction through their lives – he was older, quieter. Eli felt no tremor in his hand, heard no slur in his voice. He was clear-shaven and his eyes were bright and focused.

"Hi, Dad," he whispered. If it was a vision he didn't mind if it kept going for a while.

Aaron stayed by his son's side while Dr. O'Day came in to check Eli over. He performed a few tests on his reflexes and responses and reported to them that physically Eli was showing no ill effects from his concussion.

"You did an MRI?" Eli asked hesitantly. He wondered if the doctor was being discreet in not mentioning it in front of his family.

"Like I said, Eli, your tests were all normal."

"What about the aneurysm?"

O'Day frowned and looked over at Nate who echoed his confusion. "What aneurysm?"

"Ah, _my_ aneurysm. In my head," said Eli.

"Eli, you don't have an aneurysm."

He let out a frustrated breath. "Yes, I do. Check the MRI. It's an inter-cranial aneurysm. It's small but it's there. You need to know what you're looking for."

O'Day looked surprised and a little insulted.

"Eli, you don't have an aneurysm," Nate said, stepping forward. "I even forced the neurology chief to check your MRI for me, just in case. No offence, Mike."

"None taken," the doctor replied but clearly didn't mean it.

"You're wrong," Eli said ominously. "It's why this is happening."

"What's happening?"

"This. All of it." He glanced at each of their faces but they were all looking at him like he was crazy. "This isn't real."

"Okay, I'm going to call for a psych consult," O'Day stated. "Keep an eye on him."

"Why is he saying all this?" Linda asked her eldest son.

"I don't know," Nate admitted in defeat, his eyes not wavering from Eli's.

"Don't you remember?" Eli asked him, needing him to understand. "You were yelling at me. You blamed me for what happened with Beth."

"Eli, I don't know anyone called Beth," Nate stated calmly so as not to agitate him any more than he already was. "You were at home with Taylor when you passed out and hit your head on the planter in your bedroom. Don't you remember?"

Eli frowned. "That was like… two years ago. George Michael was in my room singing 'Faith'."

"Oh my God," his mother murmured under her breath.

"Linda," his father said and she tried to keep her composure.

"Eli, you're not making any sense," Nate went on.

"I will. Just let me explain."

0 0 0 0

They gathered by his bedside when the attending physician from the psychiatry department came to speak with him. By this time Taylor had also arrived and sat beside Eli's mother who had a comforting arm around her. Taylor still looked at Eli with a measure of pain in her red, sleep-deprived eyes, but she was there and he agreed they could all stay during the consultation. Eli had nothing to hide. Maybe if he told them everything he could work out what was happening and what the point of the vision was, if indeed it was a vision.

"You said you saw George Michael, the singer, performing in your bedroom?" Dr Fields prompted. He was an older man, closer to his father's age Eli guessed, and he had an unfazed expression on his face.

Eli concentrated on him rather than the worried looks from everyone else. "That's right."

"Did you talk to him? Did he say anything to you?"

"No. He just sang."

"And do you hear other voices? Other singers?"

"Sometimes."

"And what do these voices tell you?"

Eli shrugged. "What I need to do to help people."

"How do you help them, Eli?"

"Usually in court. I'm a lawyer. Well, a prophet and a lawyer."

"You're a prophet?"

"That's was Chen's word, not mine. I denied it for a long time, but I guess it could be considered an accurate descriptor."

"Who is Chen?"

"Dr. Chen. Frank. Frank Lebakowski, actually. It's a long story. He's my acupuncturist. My guru, if you like."

Dr. Fields made a few more notes on his pad. Nate and Aaron just frowned at one another.

"Tell me more about your aneurysm," Dr. Fields continued.

"I was diagnosed after I saw George Michael for the first time. I guess I fainted and I hit my head." Eli glanced at Nate. "I had an MRI and they didn't find anything. But a few days later I started seeing things. Finding myself in situations that felt real, but weren't really happening." A bit like this, he added silently. "Nate had the scan checked by his neurology chief and he found an aneurysm. Just like the one my father had."

Fields looked over at Aaron. "I'm supposed to be dead," he said by way of explanation.

Eli recounted the attempt to remove the aneurysm and its recurrence, omitting the part about asking God's fiduciary for it back to spare his brother. There was only so much they could accept and he figured that would be pushing it. He did point out that the diagnosis of his aneurysm happened more than a year and a half earlier.

"Which is why you think it's 2008," Fields clarified.

"That's right. Because it is."

"Eli, what goes through your mind when I tell you that it's actually 2006?"

"How about I can predict who wins the next two series of American Idol? And Brangelina have twins."

"I'm serious."

Eli smothered a smile. "Okay, clearly something's going on here. I'm either having a vision or I'm stuck in some kind of weird limbo." He stopped, remembering the taste of blood. "That's it…"

"What is?"

"The fight. I was arguing with Nate. He blamed me for his fiancée breaking up with him because she also has feelings for me – which _so_ wasn't my fault and you owe me an apology," he said, glancing at Nate. "Besides I knew her first and lost my virg–"

Eli clamped his lips together. "Never mind. We were arguing and then my nose was bleeding. Nate called the hospital. I guess maybe the aneurysm ruptured or something. I think I passed out. The next thing I remember is waking up here in some kind of time warp."

"That's interesting," Fields murmured and wrote some more.

"What about us, Eli?" Taylor asked quietly, her voice full of hurt.

Eli felt a twist of pain that he was the cause. "I'm sorry, Taylor."

"We're supposed to be getting married."

"I know, but things don't work out. It was mutual, you have to trust me on that. And everything turned out better, for you anyway. You're going to have a baby."

"Right. With some guy called Matt."

Eli smiled kindly. "That's right, Matt Dowd."

Taylor glowered at him, pulling away from Linda. "That creep from your office who tried to hit on me at the Fourth of July party? Right in front of my father, I might add."

"That's him."

"That's it. I can't sit here and listen to this anymore." She got up with a huff. "This is insane."

She stalked out of the room and Linda called after her before following her. Fields watched the interaction but did not comment.

"Let me get this straight," Nate said, looking confused. "I get engaged to some girl you… knew in college?"

"Beth," Eli said.

"Right. Beth. But we don't get married because she's secretly in love with you?"

"Well, yeah, but personally I just think it's cold feet. She does love you, and it'll work out in the end. She needs you and so does Ben."

"And Ben is…?"

"Her son."

Nate raised his hands in surprise. "Her son! Of course. I'm going to be a father. Hey, Dad! You're going to be a grandfather."

"Not me, I'm dead, remember?" Aaron said with a small chuckle.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget," Nate replied.

Eli didn't appreciate his sarcastic tone. "I know you don't believe me. I don't suppose I'd believe it myself if I heard it like this. But these things all happened."

"Are you going to say anything?" Nate snapped at Dr. Fields, his anger mounting.

"What would you like me to say?"

"How about you're going to write him a prescription for anti-psychotics?"

"I don't know that drugs are the right course of action here, Dr. Stone," Fields said calmly.

"He's _delusional_. He thinks he has a brain aneurysm!"

"He's also suffered a concussion and I think a few days rest is warranted before we leap to a psychological disorder as the cause. Eli doesn't appear to be a danger to himself or anyone else."

Fields focused his attention on Eli. "Why do you think you're here?"

Nate let out a huff behind him but Fields ignored it. His eyes were unwavering.

"I don't know," Eli admitted. "But I can usually work it out given some time."

"Okay. But I want you to come back and see me in a day or so. Your brother can provide you with medical supervision in the meantime and perhaps being in a familiar environment will help."

Eli nodded, vaguely hypnotized by the doctor's steady voice and gaze. "Thank you."

"This will all get sorted out, Eli. You've got to have faith."

"That's just what George Michael said," Eli replied with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dream Awake**

Eli left the hospital that afternoon but instead of going home Nate took him to his apartment. It was the one stipulation Dr. Fields had made, though Nate was still reluctant to have him signed out to his care. He thought Eli should remain hospitalized until his memory returned or he accepted that it was 2006 and everything he had described hadn't already happened and wouldn't happen in the future.

Their mother, of course, wanted Eli to stay at the family home, but he'd been reluctant. He was still unsure how to handle the fact that his father was alive – no aneurysm, no alcoholism. It was a dream come true but it still didn't sit right, not when Eli knew what really happened. The need to be under medical supervision, then, was a useful excuse. It also allowed him to stay away from his place where Taylor was still smarting over his revelations about their future. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better about it yet, so he decided a little distance was best.

Eli lay on Nate's couch staring up at the ceiling. He'd refused the bed, knowing Nate needed sleep more than he did. His brother had stayed awake all night at the hospital and was struggling to keep his eyes open. Eli lied and said he wanted to take a nap too, and pretended to fall asleep so Nate could do the same. His brother was snoring quietly in the bedroom as Eli contemplated what he was going to do.

He had to be rational about everything, he decided. He'd been stuck in this strange sort of limbo before, after the surgery to remove the aneurysm when he'd been in a coma for three days. Perhaps it had happened again – maybe the bleeding was caused by some complication with his condition and he was comatose. Eli wondered how long it would go on. Last time all he had to do was come to the realization that he was, in fact, having a sort of vision. Once he understood it, and after talking to Vision Dr. Chen, he'd been able to pull himself out. Somehow. Eli couldn't quite remember how he'd done it.

He tried squeezing his eyes shut, holding his breath and counting to ten. Nothing. He tried again, gritting his teeth and focusing every part of himself on the idea of waking up back where he was supposed to be. He blinked his eyes open only to see Nate's ceiling again. With a sigh, Eli sat up. His head was still sore and he reached for some more paracetamol. This was going to take some time.

He got up and wandered around Nate's apartment. It was strange not seeing the pictures of Beth and Ben that he'd put up around the place. It was a bachelor's pad through and through. Eli felt a wave of sympathy for his brother who deserved every happiness. That was why he needed to go back. Eli needed to help reunite Nate and Beth, he decided. It was as worthy a goal as any.

Eli stopped in his tracks when he realized what he should do. It had worked the first time, or at least it had helped. He needed to speak to Frank.

0 0 0 0

Eli caught a cab to Chinatown after swiping money from Nate's wallet. It wasn't his fault his was still at the penthouse. Besides, he figured returning to the future – or the present, depending on how he looked at it – and fixing things between his brother and the woman he loved would be compensation enough.

Dr. Chen's clinic looked just like it had on Eli's first visit. There were no smoothies and other add-on products he was peddling as Eli knew him now. There was faint guzheng music playing when he entered and a waft of incense tickled his nose. But Frank was nowhere to be seen. Eli waited for a minute before ringing the bell on the counter. He grinned when Frank came into the waiting area of the clinic.

"Welcome Dr. Chen's. You have appointment?" Frank asked using his fake accent.

"Do I ever have an appointment?" Eli joked.

"You seen Dr. Chen before?"

Eli's smile faded. Of course, he didn't know him. It threw him off kilter for a moment before he recovered his composure.

"I need to talk to you. I need your help."

"Dr. Chen help. You have bad stomach? Bad head? Problem wit'…" Frank whistled suggestively and pointed at Eli's groin.

"What? No."

"Why you need acupuncture?"

"I don't need it, or at least not right away. We need to talk first. And you can drop the accent, Frank."

"What you talk about?" Frank looked furtive before advancing on Eli and waving his hands. "You go. Dr. Chen no provide talk."

Eli shuffled backwards then stopped. "Your name is Frank Lebakowski. You grew up on a commune. You majored in philosophy at UC Berkley before studying holistic medicine in China," he stated calmly.

"What, are you a cop?" Frank asked, dropping the accent. "That pot was for medicinal use and the charges were dropped."

"No, my name is Eli Stone. I'm a lawyer and I need your help."

Frank looked at him, intrigued.

0 0 0 0

They sat on his roof and drank a beer while Eli related his story. Frank let him talk without interrupting, even when Eli got to the part about Frank meeting his father and promising to one day help his son.

"So, what do you think?" Eli asked, squinting against the sinking sun.

"I can see why you're having a hard time adjusting," replied Frank.

"What do I do?"

"You're asking me?"

"You helped me before," Eli persisted.

Frank shrugged and grinned wryly. "I don't know what to tell you, dude. I've never worked in a TV repair shop. I've never met your father. By the sounds of it, he's not the man you know anyway. If he doesn't have an aneurysm either and isn't drinking as a result of it, his whole life is different to what you've seen. Everything has changed."

"I know," Eli said, crestfallen. "And if I could keep that part intact and go back to my real life, I wouldn't complain. All I ever wanted was to have a normal dad like everyone else. But this isn't how things are supposed to be. What about all those people I helped because of my visions? What about all the people I'm supposed to help in the future? Nate's relationship with Beth? Jordan's new firm? Taylor and Matt's baby? Maggie…" Eli paused. Maggie was still with Scott, the man who would eventually cheat on her if he wasn't already. "All these lives, Frank. I can't just do nothing."

"What's the plan then?"

"Maybe acupuncture will work. It always has before."

"You say it allows you to revisit your visions? To seek clarity?"

"That's right."

"We can try, but I don't know it will work," said Frank.

"Why not?"

"You don't have an aneurysm anymore, Eli. You're not having visions."

"That you know of," Eli said. His eyes were pleading. "I don't know what else to do. I think we should try."

"Alright, man, whatever you say."

0 0 0 0

Eli took his time returning to Nate's place, taking a cable car instead of a cab. He wanted to avoid the inevitable confrontation with his brother, realizing he hadn't left a note and Nate would probably be worried about him. But he also had to come to terms with the fact that the one glimmer of hope he had – acupuncture – had done nothing. Dr. Chen had stuck the needle into his forehead and he'd waited for the familiar few seconds of disorientation. But nothing had happened. No clarity, no answers. Just a vague feeling of well-being. Eli's shoulders slumped further as he scuffed his feet along the sidewalk.

When he did slip back into Nate's apartment, his brother was on the phone. When he saw Eli he looked relieved, then angry.

"Hang on, he's back. He looks okay… Yeah… Yeah, I'll let you know, Dad." Nate disconnected the call. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I just went for a walk."

"It's almost dark out. I thought you were lying in a ditch somewhere." Nate manhandled him over to the couch and checked him over.

"I'm fine, Nate."

"Oh yeah? What year is it?"

Eli gave him a look.

Nate sighed. "You can't just wander off, Eli. You're supposed to be under medical supervision."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just had to check something."

"What?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Are you still… Do you still think you're from the future?" Nate asked hesitantly.

"I don't think I'm from the future, Nate. I'm telling you, I did hit my head on the planter but it was because I have an aneurysm and you diagnosed it…"

"For the tenth time, you don't have an aneurysm, Eli! We know what we're looking for. Your MRI is totally clear." He got up, swiping his hand over his mouth. "You shouldn't have been released from the hospital. I'm going to call my boss and get him to lean on Fields to admit you for evaluation."

"I'm not crazy, Nate."

"You need help, little brother," he said insistently. "Let me help you."

"Then let me stay here. I don't need to go back to hospital." Eli spoke firmly and held Nate's gaze steadily.

Nate thought about it for a long moment before finally agreeing. "For now. But if these delusions don't stop, you agree to go back."

"Deal."

Eli sat back against the couch. He tried to hide his frown but he needed to concentrate on what he was going to do. Acupuncture had been a dead end. He didn't know what else to try.

"So listen," Nate went on, placated, "you'd better give Taylor a call. She's worried about you."

"You mean she's pissed at me," Eli countered darkly.

"Wouldn't you be if your fiancée woke up one day and told you that you'd broken up?" Nate's eyes narrowed as realization hit. "This isn't an elaborate attempt to get out of marrying her, is it?"

"No."

"Good, because seriously? You're not going to do any better than Taylor."

"Taylor's great, but I know it won't work out. It wasn't fair to put her through –" He started to gesture towards his head because he couldn't use the word aneurysm again without raising Nate's ire. Then he stopped. Nate wouldn't believe him anyway. "Sometimes you just know things aren't meant to be."

Nate wandered into the kitchen. He called over his shoulder, "Well, you probably could have found a better way to tell her. I'm just saying."

Eli followed him after a few minutes during which Nate had begun preparing dinner. Eli watched him for a while, mulling things over.

"Nate?" he said eventually. "Is Dad okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is he still an engineer?"

Nate dropped some pasta into boiling water. "Unless he's retired in the last 24 hours he is. Why?"

"He never owned a TV repair shop on Market Street?"

"No. Why would you say that?" Nate chuckled briefly, then gave Eli a sober look. "Forget it, I need to stop asking."

Eli ignored him. "And his health's okay?"

"Apart from a little male pattern baldness – which doesn't bode well for either of us. You in particular," Nate said, glancing at Eli's hair.

"He isn't… an alcoholic?"

Nate's brow furrowed. "No, of course not. Now Mom, on the other hand… Get her around a jug of Sangria and there are consequences. Don't you remember when she and Uncle Gary got hammered at her sixtieth last year? They almost set the kitchen curtains on fire."

Eli grinned in response to Nate's amusement but it quickly faded. He didn't remember because it never happened. He stared off into the distance, lost in thought, until Nate threw a dishcloth at him.

"Why are you so worried about Dad? What's with the whole death fixation?" Nate fixed him with a firm stare. "You could have handled that little announcement better, too."

"I know…I just wasn't expecting to see him," Eli said, dropping his eyes. "I'm not the only one with an aneurysm, Nate. I got it from Dad, along with the visions. He just didn't know how to handle his so he drank instead. It destroyed him."

Nate continued to stare at him, his expression unreadable. When he tried to speak he found he had to clear his throat first.

"Eli, I know you believe that. I don't understand it, but I concede it feels real to you right now."

"It is real," Eli whispered, sounding scared.

Nate pressed his lips together. "Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Do you?"

"Of course I do," Eli replied. "You're my brother."

Nate reached out and held Eli's head in his hands, their eyes locking together. "Then trust me when I tell you this is all in your mind. Dad is okay, and so are you. I'm gonna help you through this, Eli. But you need to try. I need you to try."

"Nate…"

"No, I don't want to hear you talk about aneurysms or visions or George Michael. You need to focus on what's real."

Eli's mouth tightened as Nate's intense gaze bore into him. He felt his anger mounting and wanted to push his brother away, but something inside forced him to calm down. He wouldn't get anywhere antagonizing Nate. Eli was concerned he'd really think he was insane and have him committed. Instead he decided that he'd give acquiescence a try. At least on the surface.

"Okay, Nate."

A smile lit up his brother's face and he pulled Eli into a brief hug. He slapped his back firmly.

"Good. Now, are you hungry? Because I am going to turn this bottle of pasta sauce into something vaguely appetizing right before your very eyes."

"Sounds good," Eli said with a forced smile.

If he had to pretend everything was normal, he could do that. Eli knew he didn't have any other choice if he was going to get his real life back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dream Awake**

Eli recuperated at Nate's for a couple of days, after which his brother had to go back to work. Their parents offered to take over but Eli decided that he needed to be at work, too. Nate took some convincing, but after Eli had stopped talking about the aneurysm and everything else from his other life, he agreed he could go into the office for a few hours. Eli was under strict instructions to go home if these errant thoughts returned.

He knew Nate was only looking out for him, but Eli was relieved that he was able to go back to work. He needed to be around familiar things and people if he was going to discover how he could put things right. Of that he was sure.

He paused when he saw the Wethersby, Posner and Klein sign when he entered the law firm. Even after such a relatively short time since the inception of the new firm, Eli felt strange seeing the old partners' names. When he stepped out of the elevator the office was bustling with lawyers, paralegals and assistants. He wasn't used to seeing so many people anymore, either.

Instinctively he headed for the law library, greeting staff along the way, then had to remind himself that he still had an office. It was little details like that he was struggling to recall – having to put himself back two years before his life changed so dramatically with the discovery of his aneurysm. Eli turned sheepishly and made his way to his office instead. Patti was already at her desk but she got up quickly when she saw him.

"Oh Eli, are you alright?" Patti looked concerned but she didn't go so far as to give him a hug. It wasn't Christmas yet after all. "Should you even be back at work yet? Your brother said you had a bad concussion."

"I'm fine, Patti. Don't worry about it," Eli said.

"_Good_," she replied, her voice regaining its usual mix of sass and disdain. "There are messages piled up all over your desk and I've had to reschedule all your meetings so forget about taking a lunch break until you're caught up. Jordan's still waiting for your notes on the Spencer depositions and needs you to take over the Torres case that starts next week. And you're late for the morning briefing."

She proceeded to dump a thick wad of files into Eli's arms.

"Do you think I could have a cup of coffee?" he asked, already feeling tired.

"Are your arms painted on?" Patti replied before taking a seat at her desk. She pressed a finger to her earpiece. "Eli Stone's office."

Eli sighed. At least some things hadn't changed.

0 0 0 0

A few minutes later he sat in the WPK conference room and let his eyes wander over the familiar faces of his old colleagues. So few had stayed with Jordan and Eli's firm that he couldn't help but feel a little disgruntled as he looked at them now. He caught himself glaring at one or two in particular who had disappointed him with their defection, then had to cover it when he realized Matt Dowd was staring at him from the next seat with a bemused look on his face.

Thanks to his absence from the office for a few days Eli wasn't called upon to provide a summary of his current case load. In fact if he didn't know better Eli could have sworn Jordan was avoiding looking at him at all. He grimaced when he realized what Taylor must have told her father. Jordan, for all his stoicism and dislike of emotional interactions, was still fiercely protective of his only daughter and Eli knew he was in for a rough patch with the managing partner. His friend. Although, he reminded himself, Jordan wasn't his friend yet, not really. Wethersby, Stone and Associates didn't exist here.

He decided to avoid the confrontation for as long as possible and moved quickly out of the conference room after the meeting was over, ducking between a couple of senior associates before Jordan could turn his piercing gaze on him. He headed down the stairs to his office, intent on burying himself in work for now. At least that was easy to deal with. Getting himself back to where he was supposed to be was another matter entirely.

His hopes for a peaceful morning where shattered, however, when he arrived to find Taylor sitting in his office. Patti glared at him, annoyed that he hadn't given her any advance warning that she was coming, but Eli couldn't deal with her mood at the same time. He closed his door quietly behind him.

Taylor looked up, obviously trying to remain cool and composed. Eli felt a wave of guilt again that he had blurted out the demise of their relationship so abruptly and in front of his family. He knew she would have been mortified, given how closely she guarded her privacy.

"Hi, Taylor," he said gently.

"I take it you're feeling better," she replied politely, her voice a little clipped.

"Head doesn't hurt anymore." He didn't bother to add that was the least of his problems. He walked over and took a seat beside her.

"I know you're probably busy, but I thought it best if we talked face to face rather than over the phone. Not that you called."

"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say."

"How about it was all a big misunderstanding and you didn't just break up with me for no reason?"

"There's a reason, Taylor…"

"Of course. You think I'm having an affair with Matt Dowd," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"No, I don't. I know you're not. But you will… What I mean is, in a few months time…"

Taylor stiffened. "Stop. Don't tell me what I'm going to do, Eli. That I'll be better off. Just be honest and tell me you don't want to marry me and be done with it."

"Taylor…"

"I don't understand. I thought we were happy. But you take a knock to the head and suddenly everything between us is over?"

Eli wanted to explain, to make her understand, but professing that he knew her future was not going to help convince Nate and everyone else that he wasn't delusional. It wasn't going to help him work out how to make things right again.

"I'm sorry," he said again. It came out more weakly than he intended.

Taylor got up swiftly before emotion got the better of her. "So am I. For trusting you. For letting myself love you."

"Taylor, wait." Eli grabbed her hand and stood up as well. He laid his other hand on her shoulder and patted it tentatively. His awkwardness just seemed to hurt her more.

"I'll organize to have my things collected from the apartment," she stated dully.

"You don't have to… You don't have to leave." He saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes before adding, "I can stay with Nate for a while."

Taylor blinked away the sting in her eyes, her expression hardening. "It's your place, Eli, not mine. I was only ever a visitor. In your life as well, apparently."

Eli opened his mouth to respond when there was a knock on his door and Matt poked his head in.

"Stone? Oh, sorry. I didn't know you had company," he said when he saw Taylor. But rather than leave he took a step inside with a widening grin. "It's bad enough you're marrying the boss's daughter, now you have to rub our noses in it by having her come visit you at the office? Not that it isn't good to see you as always, Taylor."

"We're not getting married," Taylor said in a low voice, her eyes not leaving Eli's.

"No?" Matt brightened at the unexpected announcement. "Well, I always said you had better sense than to end up with Stone."

Taylor threw him a distasteful glance, then looked back at Eli. "This guy?" she said derisively. "I'd rather stick a hot poker in my eye. Goodbye, Eli."

Matt didn't move from the doorway so she had to squeeze past him, which caused her to glare at him even harder. He smiled to himself when she was gone.

"Nice going, buddy," Matt said. "I'm sure this is going to do wonders for your career progression. But, hey, anytime you want to piss Jordan off is fine with me."

"What do you want, Matt?" Eli said with a sigh.

"Nothing much, just wanted to stop by and let you know that while you were off nursing your headache I settled the Beutel matter."

Eli's blood ran cold. He had forgotten all about it, and the timing. "What?"

"Keller changed her mind and accepted the $90,000 we offered. Non disclosure agreement signed, sealed and delivered."

Eli sank into a seat, lost for words.

"Well, don't bother to thank me," Matt said.

"She settled?"

"What else was she going to do? It's a gift. Beutel only agreed to pay her off to avoid the publicity of a trial. And we wouldn't have even had to go to 90 if you hadn't opened your fat mouth. We could've gotten her for 60, no problem."

"What about the preservative?"

Matt frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The preservative in Mercuritol – is Beutel going to stop using it?" he asked urgently.

"No. I don't know. Why?"

"Because that was the point of this case…" Eli dropped his head into his hands and swore under his breath.

"Please, the point of this case was money. Beth Keller got it, end of story." Matt turned to go. "You're welcome, by the way."

Eli didn't look up until Matt shut the door behind him. He didn't know if he should call Beth, having no idea what he would say to her. His helping her with the Beutel matter not only got the company to stop using the potentially harmful preservative in their vaccine, it was also why they rekindled their friendship and she got to know Nate. But already everything was different. He hadn't won Beth's case.

Eli slumped further in his seat, feeling more lost than before. Without the visions he didn't know how he was supposed to do his job properly. There were people who needed help but he'd always been given some kind of sign that helped him work out who they were. Eli wasn't a hotshot litigator anymore. He certainly didn't want to live out his life stuck where he'd been before the aneurysm.

He had to get back, and quickly, before he destroyed anything else.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dream Awake**

Eli was still brooding over the Beutel settlement when he made his way to the staff kitchen to fill an oversized mug of coffee. Patti had left a fresh stack of documents on his desk for him to deal with but he couldn't concentrate on work. His head had started throbbing again from the sheer weight of the situation he was in – the puzzle he was trying to solve. After his first sip he knew the coffee wasn't going to help matters, so he dumped the rest.

He wandered back to his office, head bowed. It wasn't until he heard a familiar laugh that he looked up sharply. He saw a flash of red and the flick of a brown bob as a small group of associates crossed the office. Eli's breath caught in his throat.

"Maggie. Maggie!" He suddenly yelled across the office. He ignored the looks from everyone else as he sped forward and skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Mr. Stone?" She tried to cover her surprise, glancing quickly between her colleagues.

"Er, have you got a minute?" He gestured towards his office with both thumbs, trying not to appear too eager.

A line creased the middle of her forehead. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"No. No problem." He touched a hand to her elbow to encourage her to go with him. "I just… um, I need your help with something."

"A case?" she asked hopefully as they walked to his office. "I know I haven't been here long and technically I haven't been in court yet, but I'm ready, Mr. Stone. I'd be honored to work with you. I mean, obviously that's what I'm here for. You're a senior associate and I'm a first year associate – I'll do whatever you need me to do. Research, filings, anything." She smiled apologetically. "I talk a lot when I'm nervous. You should probably know this going in."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Probably because I didn't even realize you know who I am. I mean I know who you are, of course. I followed every day of the Griffin trial – you were amazing. That cross on Angela Simons? Wow. I mean, you nailed it, getting her to admit to the leak. Then when opposing counsel couldn't even decide how to object? Really, it was inspiring… and I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

Eli smiled indulgently as he shut his door behind them and waited until she took a seat. He walked around behind his desk but didn't sit down. His expression grew more awkward as she looked up at him expectantly.

"I don't want to talk to you about a case. At least, I don't think it's a case. If it is, it's overkill having this go on so long. I need your help to… What I mean is, I want you to…" Eli stopped when he realized he had no idea what he was actually going to say to her. If he explained what was going on, like he had done with Frank, he still didn't know how Maggie could possibly help him. He doubted she would even believe him – she didn't know him yet or trust him. They hadn't worked together on any pro bono cases that were so dear to her heart. He had never worked with her before, period.

Eli didn't know why he thought she could help him. He suspected he just craved her support, maybe her empathy, because she had always believed him when it came to his visions. But there were no visions anymore, he was stuck in a reality where they had never happened. He ended up just staring blankly at her, completely lost for words.

Maggie tolerated this for a long minute, growing increasingly bewildered.

"So, um, how's it going?" Eli stammered eventually. He cringed at his own words.

"It's going fine, thank you," she replied slowly. "Mr. Stone, are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

"No, I was just… you know, checking in. Something I do with um, the junior associates from time to time."

"Okay…" He could tell she didn't believe him.

"What are you working on?" he asked as casually as he could. He took a seat.

Maggie didn't relax and was perched on the edge of her chair. She was momentarily perturbed, as if she was being tested. "Mr. Posner has a few of us researching contract law for his automotive case."

Eli nodded, lost for words again.

"If you don't need my help on anything, I was wondering if I could run something by you?" Maggie said earnestly. "It's something I've been working on in my spare time – collecting precedent, scientific studies. It hasn't interfered with my work, I promise."

He nodded for her to go on.

"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez v. Gro Plus. The case was left on my desk along with a bunch of other pro bono requests. I know I was supposed to return them with a rejection letter, but this is one we can win." She smiled, hoping her enthusiasm might move him.

Eli's words were out of his mouth before he considered the implications. "We don't win, but they get to go and try to find her son."

"Sir?" she asked, puzzled.

"Don't call me sir. It's Eli."

"What do you mean 'we don't win'?" Maggie's frown deepened. "I think you must have this confused with another case. Oscar and Blanca don't have children, that's the point. The chemical Gro Plus forces them to use has made her sterile – that's why they're suing. I really think we can prove a causal effect…"

Eli looked down. The last thing he needed was Maggie thinking he was crazy too. "You know what, never mind. I'm sorry I dragged you in here. You should go back to work."

Maggie stayed where she was, looking confused. Eli had to motion for her to get up before she got to her feet.

"I've collected all the paperwork. If maybe you had a spare half hour…" she said hopefully.

His response was non-committal which disappointed her, but she didn't linger. Eli felt bad that he'd mentioned anything at all, but knowing what would happen to the Ramirez couple made it hard to keep silent. He wondered if maybe it was worth sounding a little crazy if it meant saving them from a court case they would ultimately lose.

Maggie's hand was on the doorknob before he called her name. She turned, looking no less uncertain than she had when she came in.

"Yes, sir?"

"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez. The complaint against Gro Plus is a loser. You'll get your day in court some other time."

"How do you know it's a loser? If I could just show you the file…"

He pressed on, ignoring the look of protest on her face. "Tell them to contact the Immigration Department about their citizenship. Their notario was a fraud… I mean, in case he was."

"How do you know this?" she asked. Her frown was back. "This isn't some sort of hazing ritual, is it?"

"No…" Eli let out a breath. "I've seen this before… this sort of case before."

He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner while Maggie pondered his words. There was no use mentioning the other more important part of the Ramirez case. Eli decided he would send the couple an anonymous letter later about where they could start searching for Blanca's son. Maggie never had to know.

She stared at him then finally nodded slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"Maggie," he said, stopping her again. "It's Eli."

"Eli." She smiled faintly and left.

He sat back in his chair, his eyes glazing over as he surrendered to his thoughts once more. Eli realized he felt even more alone having seen Maggie. She wasn't a magic elixir that could transport him back. He couldn't even confide in her. He wasn't prepared for how his world felt without Maggie as a friend. But now he knew.

0 0 0 0

He emerged from his office a couple of hours later to drop off some completed documents for Patti. Despite his headache and distracting ponderings, Eli thought he was catching up on his work quite well until she perfunctorily handed him back an even larger pile of folders that needed his attention. His shoulders sagged at the sight of them. Eli was tired. He knew the concussion he'd suffered probably had a lot to do with it, but he mostly felt exhausted from the sheer effort it was taking to keep himself together.

"Are you feeling okay, Eli?" Patti asked, actual concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, Patti."

"Maybe you should take it easy your first day back. Go home early."

Eli smirked at her. "I thought I wasn't allowed to take a lunch break until I was all caught up."

"Well, I _suppose_ I could reschedule a couple more meetings. Just this once," Patti said, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Honestly, Patti, I'm okay…" Eli glanced up and spotted Jordan bidding some clients farewell near the elevators. He quickly turned his back on the managing partner before Jordan saw him. He wasn't sure if Taylor had told him everything yet, and he really didn't want to find out.

"You know, maybe it is a good idea if I go home," he said, lowering his voice though Jordan was too far away to hear him. "Head's still a bit sore."

"Do you need a ride?"

Eli grimaced – Patti's voice sounded much louder than usual, potentially drawing unwanted attention. "It's fine, I'll take a cab."

He handed back the files and, after a swift glance in Jordan's direction, he slipped back inside his office to collect his briefcase. Eli used the cover of his colleagues to cross the lobby. Jordan's attention was now focused on one of the partners, but Eli wasn't taking any chances. The elevator seemed to take an interminable time, then when the doors opened he had to wait while a stream of people exited. Eli shifted his weight impatiently from one foot to the other until the last of them were out, before ducking inside the elevator and punching the button for the ground floor. The doors were almost shut when a hand slapped between them, forcing them to reopen. Eli looked up to see an impassive Jordan staring at him.

"Mr. Stone. Leaving so soon?" he said.

"Yes, Jor– um, Mr. Wethersby, sir. I'm still feeling a little…" Eli twisted his hand near his head, trying to think of a suitable descriptor, then gave up and smiled apologetically instead.

"A shame. I hope you feel better."

"Thank you, sir." Eli surreptitiously pressed the ground button again, but Jordan did not release the elevator doors.

"A moment of your time before you do," he said

Eli winced.

"Do you recall what I told you when you started dating my daughter?"

"That if I ever hurt her you'd hunt me down and… you know, sir, I think I repressed that next part." Eli laughed soundlessly.

Jordan leaned inside the elevator, his voice even but his stare deadly. "Consider the hunt to be on, Mr. Stone."

Eli gulped as Jordan stepped back and the elevator doors closed smoothly. At least that answered the question of whether Taylor had spoken to her father yet. Eli didn't know how his day could get any worse.

0 0 0 0

He was thankful to be back in his own apartment after staying at Nate's. He noticed how little had changed from the apartment he knew now – saw how little he'd let Taylor into his life when it came to their living space. He punched a button on his answering machine to discover more than a dozen messages. He skipped through them quickly, only listening in full to one from St. Vincent's trying to schedule a follow up visit with Dr. Fields. Eli decided to worry about that later.

He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, thinking to rest for a moment – hoping it would help clear his head. When he heard a knock on his door he blinked awake, and was surprised to discover that it was dark out and he must have slept for hours. Eli struggled to his feet when the heavy knocking continued, calling out grouchily that he was coming. His limbs weren't cooperating fully and his eyes were bleary. The last thing he wanted or needed was to find Nate on his doorstep.

"You're checking up on me already?" he said ungraciously.

"I knew you'd forget," Nate replied with a shake of his head. "It's game night."

"It is?" He stood back as his brother barged in. Eli scratched his head then figured it was best to play along for now, as if he knew what game night was. "Already?"

Nate dumped a bag of groceries in the kitchen and began unpacking them. "You feeling up to it? How did it go today?"

"Okay, I guess. I've got a lot of work to catch up on."

"Did you talk to Taylor?"

Eli's spirits sank at the remembrance. "Yeah."

"And?"

"I guess I've got a lot to catch up on there, too."

Nate shook his head again, grinning. "You'd better. I can't believe she dated you in the first place."

Eli took the rib good naturedly. He watched as Nate deposited a six pack of beer in the fridge and emptied out a packet of chips into a bowl.

"I knew you'd forget to cater, as usual," he said.

"Sorry."

Nate heard the half-hearted reply and appraised him with a concerned look. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

"Game night? Sure, why not." Eli forced himself to smile.

"Good, because you know how much this means to him."

Eli barely had a moment to realize who he meant when there was another knock and their father opened the door that had been left unlocked.

"Game night!" he bellowed happily. "It's that time of the week again, boys."

Nate was already turning on the TV and selecting a recording on Eli's DVR. Eli found himself gazing at his father again. Aaron had also brought food and was pulling out plates in the kitchen. Eli instinctively gravitated towards him, watching him curiously. Rarely had he seen his father so lucid when he was excited or happy. That was usually when he was in an almost manic state during a vision. He also wasn't used to his appearance, and couldn't help but stare. He managed to look away before his father caught him.

"You okay, son?" Aaron asked as he served some wings.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm fine."

"Good. I know you've had a strange few days."

"Yeah." Eli wished he knew the half of it.

"Something familiar is good then. Game night!" Aaron draped an arm around Eli's shoulder and led him to the couch where they took a seat beside Nate.

Game night, as it turned out, wasn't baseball or basketball or even out of season football. It was cricket – Twenty20 cricket, as Aaron explained. Eli sat feeling bewildered while Nate fast-forwarded through some pre-game commentary until the action began. He had no idea what was going on and had to cover his ignorance as both Nate and Aaron were immediately absorbed in the game.

He tried to follow it, to show excitement when one of the players hit the ball into the stands (something called a 'six', apparently), and commiserate when one was given out (through a bizarre number of different ways it could happen). In the end he settled for surreptitiously watching his father and brother and enjoying the fact that they were having a good time. Eli even managed to swallow his uneasiness when Nate handed Aaron a beer, which he proceeded to nurse for over an hour, rather than downing it quickly and moving onto countless more.

Everything was so… normal. It was the only way Eli could describe it. When Nate got a call on his cell which he ignored when he saw the caller ID, their father proceeded to inquire about his eldest son's love life. He mentioned that it wouldn't hurt for him to settle down, rather than avoiding his latest conquest when she called.

"Oh, I'm saving myself for Beth," Nate said dryly, giving Eli a wink.

"Ha ha," Eli replied. Only he knew that since Beth settled her case with Beutel she probably had no desire to talk to him. And there wouldn't be an engagement party for Nate and Beth to meet at anyway, now he had broken up with Taylor.

A few hours later when the cricket match came to a tie-breaking finish, Aaron announced that the next game night would be the World's Strongest Man mini-marathon at his house. Eli wondered how long these evenings had been going on. From the indulgent way Nate agreed it made him think they had been their father's idea – a way to keep in touch with his sons.

Eli didn't mind, at least while he was stuck where he was. He wasn't about to give up trying to get back, but for now he could tolerate time with his father. He could pretend it was real.

Eli hugged his dad goodbye and almost didn't let go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dream Awake**

For the next few days all Eli did was concentrate on work, avoiding interactions with his family and friends as much as possible. He put off going back to the hospital for a follow up appointment with the psychiatrist, relying on Nate to tell Dr. Fields that he was back to normal. No more delusions about being from the future… not that he admitted to his brother, anyway.

He kept to himself at work, using his need to catch up on everything he'd missed as an excuse to avoid talking to Maggie or Patti. It was also useful in staying clear of Jordan who continued to glare at him every time Eli had to leave the sanctuary of his office. He worked through all the case files and documents Patti brought him, and took all the meetings she arranged without complaint. He hoped that somewhere, somehow, there would be a clue to how he could get back to where he was supposed to be, but so far nothing had shown up.

At night, Eli had taken to writing down all the details of the pro bono cases he'd taken after having a vision – names, dates, places – all the minutiae he could remember. He scribbled furiously as he recalled how he came across the cases, what research he had Patti or Maggie do, what help he got from Nate. Eli wasn't sure of much, but he was certain that he needed to help these people again. He couldn't let things go a different way, like he had with Beth's case. The ramifications for any of the cases going differently were untold. At night, he found himself dreaming about dragons and car crashes and, when the nightmares were at their worst, earthquakes that killed thousands.

Eli was determined to put things right just in case he was unable to get back. If he was going to relive this part of his life he needed to make sure that what happened the first time around happened again. He was reasonably confident that Jordan's friend Mason Andrews would seek out his help on his case against Keith Bennett, and that Jordan would offer Keith a job at WPK when it was all over. He was unsure how he was supposed to get Jordan to bring Taylor into the firm as well, however. Last time it had been her idea. She had wanted to try and make things work with Eli, but he knew he'd probably blown that option now unless he tricked her into thinking they could get back together, she took the job at WPK, Eli broke up with her again, and then he could sit back and wait for Matt Dowd to swoop in. However it happened, Eli knew they were meant to be together and have a baby.

Eli became preoccupied with trying to manage everyone's future. There was Maggie to worry about – trying to convince her that Scott would cheat on her and they needed to break up. He had to get to Angela through Patti to stop her getting into drugs, if he could. And Nate and Beth – Eli knew he would have to be creative there. He had to arrange for them to meet somehow. All these plans he added to the journal.

It wasn't until he'd written everything down that he noticed what he'd been using to capture it all. The journal looked suspiciously like his father's. Eli wondered if anyone reading it would think him insane – the dates revealed he was writing about the future and some of the impressions and memories that he included bordered on raving. He decided to hide the journal under his mattress in case Nate found it lying around and ordered him back to the hospital after all. He wasn't going to do anyone any good there.

Eli had hoped that writing it all down would help clear his mind, and with that clarity would come insight into his situation. But instead he lay awake each night, unable to sleep. The journal was like a beating heart under the floorboards. He couldn't escape his destiny, but nor could he reclaim it, trapped as he was. Eli wondered if he wasn't going insane, after all.

0 0 0 0

At the start of second week back at WPK he was returning from a meeting when Maggie fell in step beside him.

"Mr. Stone. Eli. Hi," she said chirpily.

"Maggie."

Eli looked around for a distraction, something to divert her attention. He wasn't sure how to deal with her yet. He kept walking, lengthening his stride in the hopes of deterring her from keeping up, but she was not to be put off.

"I've been wanting to catch you, to say thank you," Maggie said, oblivious to his mood.

"For what?"

"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez. You were right. I don't know how you were right, but their naturalization papers were bogus. The case is with the Immigration Department but I'm hopeful that because they were up front about it they'll get their proper approval to stay in the country."

"That's great, congratulations," Eli said dismissively. He was nearing his office but Maggie was still following him. He decided to keep going so she wouldn't take it as an invitation to stop and chat, and headed for the upper floor.

Maggie matched his stride. "I just wanted you to know that I appreciated your advice. You saved them from potential deportation. If we'd proceeded with the case against Gro Plus…"

"But you didn't, happy ending, let's leave it there." Eli stopped briefly to put a hand on her shoulder and give her a forced smile in the hopes of ending the conversation. But when he started walking again she doggedly stayed with him.

"I was wondering if you needed help with anything? Mr. Posner has all the associates he needs for research. I thought maybe you were working on something I could assist with."

"Not right now, but if anything comes up I'll be sure to let you know."

"Really, I don't mind. To be honest I'd appreciate the work. If I have to read one more case history on car manufacturing I think I'll…"

Maggie was not able to complete her sentence because she crashed into Eli's back. He had stopped dead in his tracks as they passed the conference room.

"Oompf," she said, unable to avoid the collision. She followed his gaze into the room where Jordan and Matt Dowd were meeting with a client. "Is there something wrong, Eli?"

"It's her," he gasped.

Eli stared in disbelief at the middle-aged woman sitting in the conference room – her short, dark hair, her tight-lipped smile as she responded to something Jordan was saying. He couldn't believe it. Eli frowned as he stumbled forward like he was sleepwalking and pushed open the door.

"It's you!" he cried, pointing a finger at her.

Jordan stopped mid-sentence at the interruption and looked less than pleased. Matt shook his head and smiled apologetically at their client but she was gazing serenely at Eli.

"Mr. Stone, is there something you need?" Jordan asked with barely concealed anger. He turned his attention to the woman. "I apologize, Mrs. Calhoun."

"That's quite alright," she responded graciously, her eyes not leaving Eli's. She smiled again.

"W- what are you doing here?" Eli stammered, breathing heavily.

"Mrs. Calhoun is considering signing with the firm," said Jordan. His glare disappeared when he faced her again. "Mr. Stone is one of our, er… senior associates. Eli, perhaps you and I can continue this at a later time."

Jordan got to his feet and walked Eli smoothly to the door. "Please excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Calhoun."

Jordan pushed Eli into the corridor where Maggie was waiting, wide-eyed at the appearance of the managing partner and Eli's apparent lack of awareness at the fury darkening Jordan's features.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, keeping his voice low. "Vera Calhoun's family has a philanthropy portfolio of half a billion dollars, Mr. Stone. Needless to say we want their business, and bizarre interruptions like yours are hardly the image of WPK we wish to portray."

"But it's _her_," Eli replied in bewilderment.

"I suggest you get back to work. You and I will talk later." Jordan's eyes narrowed even further before he returned to the conference room.

"Eli, are you okay?" Maggie asked when he hadn't moved.

He turned his blank stare on her, not really seeing her, before walking blindly back to his office. After days of confusion and disorientation, uncertainty and doubt, he finally had a lead. He didn't know what it meant, but it was still a lead.

Now all Eli had to do was work out why the Fiduciary was at Wethersby, Posner and Klein, and how he was going to get her alone to talk to her.

0 0 0 0

"You want me to do _what_?" Patti replied in her best indignant tone.

"Just talk to Jordan's assistant – I need Vera Calhoun's phone number. Her address if you can get it. Just don't advertise the fact to Jordan."

"Who is Vera Calhoun?"

"Just a prospective new client," Eli explained hurriedly. He urged Patti out of her seat.

"And why the secrecy? Does Jordan know you're going to contact her?"

He considered lying, but he knew he wouldn't get away with it with Patti. "Not exactly, no."

"Eli…"

"It's nothing untoward, I promise. I just need to talk to her."

Patti sized him up, thinking it over, before reluctantly agreeing.

"Now would be best," he said quickly, all the while scanning the office for any sign of Jordan.

He waited until she was gone before running back up the stairs to the conference room. He snuck a peak through the glass to see if the Fiduciary was still there, but the room was empty. Cursing under his breath, Eli ran back down the stairs towards the elevators, scanning the floor for the pale blue outfit she was wearing. He couldn't see her anywhere, or Jordan or Matt. He swore again.

Rather than wait in his office like a sitting duck for Jordan, Eli hovered around the legal secretaries' section where he could watch for Patti's return. He hopped from one foot to the other impatiently until he spotted her.

"Psst, Patti! Over here!" he called out, then slipped into the copy room.

Patti rolled her eyes and huffed as she made her way across the floor to join him.

"Eli, what in the world are you up to? Acting like you're in a bad spy movie."

He ignored her, holding out his hands expectantly. "Did you get it?"

"Of course I did."

She withdrew a piece of paper from a folder – a print out of Vera Calhoun's contact details.

"Patti, you're a star."

"Hmm, remember that when it's time to talk pay rises. And I'd better not get into trouble for this, Eli. According to Rebecca, Vera Calhoun's grandfather was some oil tycoon. The family's worth a gazillion dollars and Jordan and Posner have been courting the family for years. Although I've never heard of them before." Patti didn't like it when she missed something like that.

Eli smiled down at the paper, not looking at her. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing.

"Aren't you going back to your office?" asked Patti.

Eli glanced around again. "No, not right now. If Jordan comes looking for me tell him I'm seeing a client. Don't mention Vera Calhoun."

"That would require me to know what's going on," Patti muttered as Eli continued his furtive looks, cell phone pressed to his ear. She left him to it.

The number rang for a long time, but no one answered and it did not go to voicemail. Eli waited until it rang out and snapped his phone shut in frustration. The address on the piece of paper was in Pacific Heights – not far by cab, but then the Fiduciary had not long left the office, if indeed she was gone. He decided he'd have to wait for a while before going to find her.

All he had to do was avoid Jordan for a few hours and try to work out what her being there really meant. Eli's spirits rose with the thought that he may be able to go home after all.

0 0 0 0

Eli managed to stay out of Jordan's path for the rest of the day, using the law library as cover. He tried calling the number listed on Vera Calhoun's file all afternoon but there was never any answer. He tried Googling her but found little of substance, just a few photographs from charity dinners and mentions of substantial donations. The Fiduciary looked the same in each of the photographs, smiling that small, knowing smile and looking straight into the camera until Eli got the impression she was looking right at him.

He chanced a return to his office and got Patti to find out that Jordan was tied up in other meetings for the rest of the afternoon. Eli was glad of the reprieve, but it didn't stop Matt Dowd from dropping by to call him on his behavior.

"So, just a heads up, Stone – Jordan is pissed," Matt said as he entered Eli's office uninvited.

"Gee, thank you, Matt, I never would have guessed," Eli replied.

"What's with the weirdo behavior? Do you know Vera Calhoun?"

"No. Kind of. I thought I'd met her before."

"Well, if you've ruined Jordan's big chance to sign her I'd enjoy this office while you still have it, buddy." Matt looked around. "Actually, you know I wouldn't mind this one myself. You've got more light than I do."

Eli ignored Matt while he mentally redecorated his office. It was getting close to the end of the day and he decided it was time to pay the Fiduciary a visit. Matt laughed when Eli started packing up his briefcase, and went back to his own office to continue working.

Eli almost ran through the car park, thankful that one of the benefits of being back was that he still had his Millennium Falcon. The car's engine purred to life – a sound that Eli loved. He drove quickly to the Pacific Heights address on Vera Calhoun's file, pushing the speed limit when traffic allowed. He needed answers and his patience was growing thin.

"You have arrived at your destination," intoned the GPS as Eli drew to a slow stop.

He stared at the children's park which was full of kids running and playing. Eli checked the address on Patti's paper but it was correct. He got out of the car, thoroughly confused, and scanned the park for any sign of the Fiduciary. But she wasn't there. It was a dead end. The address, just like her phone number, was fake. Just like the photos on the Internet, as well.

Eli felt cheated as he scrunched up the paper in anger and threw it into the gutter. He wanted to yell but that would only draw attention. He slumped against the side of the car, defeated and even more lost than before. He had pinned all his hopes on confronting the Fiduciary and finally getting some answers, but now he would get none.

Eli bent wearily to pick up the useless piece of paper and got back behind the wheel. The low rumble of the car engine just seemed to mock him this time.


End file.
